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Methods for the drainage of fluid containing cancer cells that collect in the abdomen in women with a gynaecological cancer

Patients with advanced ovarian cancer and some patients with advanced endometrial cancer often need repeated drainage for malignant ascites. Guidelines to advise those involved in the drainage of ascites are usually produced locally and are generally not evidence-based but mainly based on clinicians' anecdotal evidence and experience.

We searched for studies that compared different ways of managing the drainage of fluid containing cancer cells that collect in the abdomen in women with a gynaecological cancer. We checked 1664 possible articles but no relevant studies were identified. Therefore there is no evidence in favour of any specific drainage technique for a condition that can severely diminish a patient's QOL at a time when It is especially important that a patient can enjoy a comfortable life as free as possible from problems and symptoms.

The review highlights the need for good quality studies comparing different methods of managing drains.

Authors' conclusions:

Since no relevant studies were identified, we are unable to make recommendations regarding the management of drains for malignant ascites in women with gynaecological cancer. Large, multi-centre RCTs are required to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the management of ascitic drains when in situ and their impact on QOL.

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Background:

Most patients with advanced ovarian cancer and some patients with advanced endometrial cancer need repeated drainage for malignant ascites. Guidelines to advise those involved in the drainage of ascites are usually produced locally and are generally not evidence-based but mainly based on clinicians' anecdotal evidence and experience. To discover whether there are ways of managing drains that have been demonstrated to improve the efficacy and quality of the procedure is key in making recommendations which could improve the quality of life (QOL) for women at this critical period of their lives.

Objectives:

To evaluate the benefit and harms of different practices in the management of drains for malignant ascites in the care of women with advanced or recurrent gynaecological cancer. The review aimed to evaluate the evidence regarding the following questions; How long should the drain stay in place? Should the volume of fluid drained be replaced intravenously? Should the drain be clamped to regulate the drainage of fluid? Should any particular vital observations be regularly recorded?

We searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs and non-randomised studies that compared a range of interventions for management of multiple paracentesis in womenwith malignant ascites who had a confirmed histological diagnosis of gynaecological cancer.

Data collection and analysis:

Two review authors independently assessed whether potentially relevant studies met the inclusion criteria. No trials were found and therefore no data were analysed.

Main results:

The search strategy identified 1664 unique references of which 1646 were excluded on the basis of title and abstract. The remaining 18 articles were retrieved in full, but none satisfied the inclusion criteria.

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